Well I'm frying chicken today and 8 pieces are on sale for $4.99, down from our normal $6.99. While I'm filtering a fryer a man comes up to our self-service case and stares at it. The ladies working with me as well as myself assume he's looking at sandwiches or salads or some cold chicken. After a couple moments this guy screams "What the **** does some one got to do to get some goddamn help around here!" The lady doing markdowns tries to help him but he walked off and went to the service desk.
Then one of our co-managers comes back with him and explains what he"claims" happens that we were ignoring him and stuff like that. The lady who tried to help him wasn't going to take no crap from this guy but the manager says she's escalating things and needs to apologize to him! Seriously! WTF?! This dude was cussing her out in front of everyone! So our co-manager would rather piss off a loyal employee than a a-hole customer who we later found out was homeless, and we think was drunk. Anyway the manager gave him a free 8 piece to "Make It Right!"
This is where it ticks me off. We were so slammed today with the chicken being on sale. I would put out 8 at a time and they would be gone in less than 5 minutes at times today, and this prick gives one away that we could of sold to a paying customer. And this is the same co-manager who bitched the other day why wasn't there any 8 pieces out when the chicken guarantee last until 7. Well you can't keep them out when you give them away by "MAKING IT RIGHT!"
And to top it off this prick of a manager takes the lady upstairs to talk to her while the other lady in the deli was on break and left me by myself while trying to fry chicken. And he wonders why we can't get stuff done. He told the lady involved that if he comes back with the same attitude they will ask him to leave. Why didn't they today?! Can't lose a customer!
This company is seriously going to crap with this "MAKE IT RIGHT" BS!
Your management team sucks. We have a a lot of customers who try to get free crap too.
My department head is usually like oh hell no, and our store manager backs her up. Our co's would probably give in (and then bitch about the customer behind their back) but our store manager does not give into these idiots.
Our store manager would've done the same thing as OP's :(
Between Make It Right, our unbelievably generous coupon policies, and (at least our store's) very loose interpretations of ScanRite, Kroger seems to bend over backwards to retain the business of a*holes so they don't complain to corporate/Facebook/friends, and instead continue to shop and scam us. Meanwhile employees get treated like dirt, and our average everyday customers see zero benefit from all these policies unless they too learn to use and abuse our rules.
There was a guy (creepy as hell guy) who used to come in intentionally after 7pm to ask for marked down chicken. We used to throw out ungodly amounts of chicken, and at the time (not sure if the policy changed over there since I left) we couldn't mark down chickens. I did it once unknowingly, but quickly stopped after my dept manager told me his deal. He was also creepy and half the women in the deli refused to serve him (one even managed to hide whenever she saw him).
You were in the deli with other employees. Not a one of you acknowledged the customer, maybe he didn't look "right" to you. So a homeless man got some free chicken. Big deal! It didn't come out of your pocket. Kroger put chicken on sale, Kroger cuts the hours, you work for Kroger. It's going to be another complaint tomorrow and the day after that. You seriously need to let it go.
One of you should have acknowledged the customer. Don't assume you know what the customer wants without asking from now on.
You were in the deli with other employees. Not a one of you acknowledged the customer, maybe he didn't look "right" to you. So a homeless man got some free chicken. Big deal! It didn't come out of your pocket. Kroger put chicken on sale, Kroger cuts the hours, you work for Kroger. It's going to be another complaint tomorrow and the day after that. You seriously need to let it go.
One of you should have acknowledged the customer. Don't assume you know what the customer wants without asking from now on.
He was acknowledged though. The woman who was doing the markdowns tried, but he walked away from her. That's all you can do.
Also, not saying that he wasn't homeless, but some people pull some heinous **** just for free food. I have a co-worker who plants hairs in her food if it isn't to her liking.
You were in the deli with other employees. Not a one of you acknowledged the customer, maybe he didn't look "right" to you. So a homeless man got some free chicken. Big deal! It didn't come out of your pocket. Kroger put chicken on sale, Kroger cuts the hours, you work for Kroger. It's going to be another complaint tomorrow and the day after that. You seriously need to let it go.
One of you should have acknowledged the customer. Don't assume you know what the customer wants without asking from now on.
He was acknowledged though. The woman who was doing the markdowns tried, but he walked away from her. That's all you can do.
Also, not saying that he wasn't homeless, but some people pull some heinous **** just for free food. I have a co-worker who plants hairs in her food if it isn't to her liking.
Read the original post again. The employees were busy and assumed he was getting something from the self serve. The female employee spoke to the customer only after the customer started yelling about getting some help. Can you see that struggle? Do you understand now?
As far as your coworker who puts hair in her food.....I thought you quit Kroger and were working somewhere else now. Is this at your new job?
You were in the deli with other employees. Not a one of you acknowledged the customer, maybe he didn't look "right" to you. So a homeless man got some free chicken. Big deal! It didn't come out of your pocket. Kroger put chicken on sale, Kroger cuts the hours, you work for Kroger. It's going to be another complaint tomorrow and the day after that. You seriously need to let it go.
One of you should have acknowledged the customer. Don't assume you know what the customer wants without asking from now on.
He was acknowledged though. The woman who was doing the markdowns tried, but he walked away from her. That's all you can do.
Also, not saying that he wasn't homeless, but some people pull some heinous **** just for free food. I have a co-worker who plants hairs in her food if it isn't to her liking.
Read the original post again. The employees were busy and assumed he was getting something from the self serve. The female employee spoke to the customer only after the customer started yelling about getting some help. Can you see that struggle? Do you understand now?
As far as your coworker who puts hair in her food.....I thought you quit Kroger and were working somewhere else now. Is this at your new job?
Yes, this is at my new job. Was proud of it too; I shuddered at that thought.
As for the original post, I read it. While those who were behind the counter should have acknowledged them, sometimes it's not the easiest thing to do when you're busy doing other things (I remember barely lifting my head up if I was cooking for example--since I was focused on getting the paperwork right). They could've easily ignored him further after his outburst. There was some effort in trying to help after the fact.
This is why, when I was still there, I wished for like a bell or something in case something like this were to happen.
-- Edited by thestruggleisreal on Friday 7th of August 2015 11:22:39 AM
Make it right or not, if a customer gets too belligerent and wild with his/her language, the customer is asked to leave. If they refuse they are shown to the door. As my manager says; the program works fine.., and it does IF it is not abused, and NOT taken advantage of.
I have been on both sides of this situation. I was told to always ask "May I help you?" or "Be right with you" when a customer comes up. They can always say no. Because on the other side, it looks like you are being ignored, even if that is not the case.
If you are under a union, report everything to your union rep for workplace harassment.
What can the union do about an angry customer? Seriously, did you read the original post?
I think he's referring to management harassment.
" Then one of our co-managers comes back with him and explains what he"claims" happens that we were ignoring him and stuff like that. The lady who tried to help him wasn't going to take no crap from this guy but the manager says she's escalating things and needs to apologize to him!"
It just doesn't sound like the manager harassed anyone to me. He explained what the customer said and the deli lady wasn't taking crap. File a grievance and see where that goes! AAA!!
If you are under a union, report everything to your union rep for workplace harassment.
What can the union do about an angry customer? Seriously, did you read the original post?
I think he's referring to management harassment.
" Then one of our co-managers comes back with him and explains what he"claims" happens that we were ignoring him and stuff like that. The lady who tried to help him wasn't going to take no crap from this guy but the manager says she's escalating things and needs to apologize to him!"
It just doesn't sound like the manager harassed anyone to me. He explained what the customer said and the deli lady wasn't taking crap. File a grievance and see where that goes! AAA!!
Hell yeah... Make it Right totally sucks. I suppose kroger's bigwigs understand that they're being played and employees are subjected to all sorts of jackassery in order to get free stuff. Doubt it matters to them. They're salaries are "made right" no doubt.
A few days back I had a customer chimp out at me for refusing to allow him to "esschange his chikken wangz fo dem bresstusses". When I told him that I'd have to charge him the difference the moron cussed at me, called me "rayciss" telling me to "make it rite boy" and then he said he was going to get a manager. I actually told him I'd call a manager. Unfortunately, he left before the manager could get there. Turns out that the same specimen tried this out on a different shift and caused one of the ladies working the front (i'm in the deli) to cry.
Then there's the toothless obese woman with the achy breaky shirt (hell, I didn't know they still made those) and the yoga pants, "I came in here two weeks ago.. drove two hours to see this megakroger (somehow we've become trailer park disneyland) and I asked for chicken breasts and they gave me thighs instead.. whatcheegonnadoooto make it right?" Yeah, two weeks ago.. it was such a big problem the bint couldn't have brought them back or called us. I'd have more respect if the specimens would actually just outright ask for free stuff instead of browbeating people and carrying on like the obnoxious lying cretins they really are. Some people just need a simple truth big k value pack beatdown.
The "hearts and carts" bull**** is stupid too. Didn't they try something like that in vietnam with the "hearts and minds" crap.. and we all know how well that went.
